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Steve Barkin
Steven "Steve" Barkin (commonly referred to as "Mr. B") is a supporting character from Kim Possible. He is a substitute teacher at Middleton High School, which is attended by Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. For reasons of frequent injuries, sickness, or vacation among other staff members, Barkin teaches a variety of classes, ranging from gym to home economics, leading to him being dubbed the school's "permanent substitute" by the show's staff. Unlike most fictional teachers in "high school hero" franchises, Barkin is fully aware of Kim's missions and has, by accident or design, become personally involved in several of them. He is voiced by Patrick Warburton. Background Little about Barkin's history, prior to Season 1, has so far been revealed. His father's name is Franklin. It is known that he attended military school as a child and that he served as a Lieutenant in an unidentified military conflict (most likely the Vietnam War), where he was stationed "ten clicks north of Jai Alai," during which time he learned how to cook. It is also known that Barkin has been a teacher in Middleton since at least the time that Kim and Ron were in 9th grade. It is implied that he has been there much longer. Physical appearance Barkin is tall with a large muscular build. He has dark eyes and dark hair cut into a neat flattop. Barkin's beard is lighter in color than his hair and grows at an abnormal rate, he has to shave 15 times a day to keep clean-shaven. If he doesn't, he grows a dense stub in only 19 minutes and a thick beard within hours. Barkin is one of the only characters in the series whose height is actually given. When he was arrested by the fashion police his mugshots were shown. In these mugshots he stands at 6' 1" (185.5 cm), given his height in the mugshot minus the 3" heels that he states he is wearing. Abilities Barkin appears to have a wide range of abilities as a teacher, since he substitutes for nearly every class at Middleton High School. Over the course of the years he had taken on a number of roles traditionally associated with a senior faculty member, including setting school policy, leading pep rallies, making official announcements over the speaker system, and managing disciplinary procedures against students. He also represented the school's faculty during several official cheer squad events, and was apparently put in charge of other teachers on school excursions. While his exact position in the school hierarchy is unstated, he is definitely not the Principal, as that office is held by a woman. Like many teachers, Barkin works part-time, in his case at Smarty Mart, revealing to co-worker Ron that he had worked in the housewares department for fourteen years while claiming his job at the school was "just for the benefits". He has now also been known to be the school's football coach. Relationships As a secondary character, Barkin is often portrayed through his student-teacher relationships with the show's protagonists, Kim and Ron. However, he has also been briefly romantically linked with two of Kim's foes, DNAmy and the temporarily-good Shego. Ron Stoppable Barkin's relationship to Ron is often antagonistic. This seems to stem from an incident in the 9th grade where Ron looked at him funny; Ron insisted that Mr. Barkin has had it in for him ever since, a claim that by Barkin's own admission proves true. Such examples of Barkin having it in for him are when Barkin demands Ron hand in homework before the school doors are unlocked, or giving him into trouble for leaving before he dismisses the class even though everyone else has left. Ron had served in detention a few times already by 10th grade. However, there are times where Barkin has come to respect Ron's unique abilities, such as the time where Ron ended up taking over the home economics class, and when Ron helped Barkin's Pixie Scout troop with their cookie sales (although his initial efforts were less than stellar, Ron quickly adapted), and when they rescued Kim and Bonnie from Professor Dementor's lair. Kim Possible While Mr. Barkin does not show the same disdain for Kim that he has for Ron, he has often found himself at odds with her, particularly when she attempted to bail on the detention she received for being tardy three times in one month. Barkin generally respects her as a top student, but isn't afraid to point out her shortcomings, such as when she hadn't begun her college selection process. DNAmy Mr. Barkin first met Amy Hall when he and Ron encountered her while, on a school field trip, they were searching for the Mount Middleton Snowbeast. Initially, Barkin was appreciative of Amy's treatment of him. But when she revealed herself as the creator of the monster (and a few others), Barkin immediately lost any interest in her, calling her “sick and wrong” (and unwittingly borrowing one of Ron's catchphrases in the process). She responded by turning him into a mutant monster. Shego When Shego showed up at Middleton High as a substitute teacher, Mr. Barkin was immediately smitten. Having been turned good by Electronique's modified Attitudinator, Shego was far more receptive to Steve's advances than she normally would have been. "Stevie" took Shego out on a date, which at Shego's request was a double-date with Kim and Ron; Barkin gave the young couple a quick out, though, and Shego and Barkin had a wonderful time. A second date at the skating rink never materialized, however, as by then Shego had been restored to her normal, evil self, although she hadn't formally broken off the relationship. After this, Barkin showed up at Drakken's lair to serenade Shego, with disastrous results that involved attack dogs and electric shocks. Category:Characters